Whisk the milk and egg yolks in a heavy saucepan. Add sugar, flour, and salt and whisk together until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 20 minutes or until thickened. Feel free to add another teaspoon of flour if it’s not thickening up to your liking. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.*

Assemble the puddings in one dish or 6 small dishes. For one small serving dish layer 1/3 of the vanilla wafers, followed by one banana, and 1/3 of the pudding, repeating until custard is gone. For 6 single-servings divide and layer like I did in a bunch of ramekins, or juice glasses. I layered like this: 3 vanilla wafers, a few banana slices, pudding, and so on. Some of the glasses fit additional layers.

Cover each glass with plastic wrap pressing it onto the surface of the pudding; chill for 8 hours before serving. This allows the vanilla wafers to absorb the goodness and become cake-like.

When ready to serve, beat whipping cream , powdered sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form. Spread or pipe over over custard. Serve!

* At this point do not attempt to dunk your finger in the pudding to taste it. It’ll burn you! I know from experience.

I once had banana pudding with shortbread cookies, it was a pretty good idea. And, you’re right, don’t dip your fingers in molten pudding, or you get burned, I do it every time though! I’m glad we both learn from our mistakes…